Analysis: Grizzlies must stop Chris Paul to stop Clippers

By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY

The Memphis Grizzlies have lost two playoff games by one point to the Los Angeles Clippers and another in overtime and find themselves on the brink of first-round elimination going into Wednesday night's Game 5 at home.

By Gary A. Vasquez, US Presswire

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, with the ball, has sliced through the Memphis Grizzlies' defense to help get his team on the verge of advancing to the second playoff round.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, with the ball, has sliced through the Memphis Grizzlies' defense to help get his team on the verge of advancing to the second playoff round.

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While point guard Mike Conley has played exceptionally well for Memphis, All-Star Chris Paul has been better for Los Angeles.

Conley has more than held his own, shooting 22-for-44 (50%) and averaging 7.5 assists.

But Paul willed his team to a 27-point comeback on the road in Game 1 to steal home-court advantage, and he has taken charge of the series.

It hasn't been the finest hour for Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who led his team to a No. 4 seed despite major injuries to forwards Zach Randolph and Darrell Arthur and two early-season trades to retool the roster. Hollins had seven new players after leading the franchise to its first playoff series victory as a No. 8 seed last year, the upset of the No. 1 San Antonio Spurs.

Great things were expected for this season.

But in the playoffs, Memphis is failing to adapt. Hollins has insisted on playing a man-to-man defense and won't double-team Paul to force the ball out of his hands. That means the Grizzlies are letting the opposing team's best player dictate the outcomes — and that's why they're trailing 3-1.

Although noted for their rugged defense, the Grizzlies haven't made any of the right moves strategically. They had options in doubling or trapping Paul because Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro played Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin extended minutes during key fourth-quarter stretches, and neither is a scoring threat.

Both are physical, defensive stoppers but are limited offensively. Why was Randolph, for instance, following Evans, who averages 3.3 points, away from the basket? Why chase Martin? He averages 3.0 points. Doing so clears the space for Paul to operate and dissect Memphis.

What happens by chasing Paul with one defender?

Hollins put his best one-on-one defender, Tony Allen, on Paul to start Game 4. Allen played only 25 minutes because of foul trouble. He was hit with his fourth foul at 7:28 of the third quarter and played just nine minutes in the second half, including overtime.

There's no shame in running a matchup zone defense to swallow up Paul, something the Dallas Mavericks did successfully to the Miami Heat's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in winning their first NBA championship last season.

And why is Memphis not fouling Evans, a 31.3% free throw shooter, and Martin, a 37% foul shooter, whenever they touch the ball in the clutch?

Where were the offense-for-defense substitutions in the final two minutes to use those fouls, slow the pace and force Del Negro's hand to take his offensive liabilities off the court and go to a smaller lineup that would have problems defending Randolph and Marc Gasol in the post?

But Memphis' woes have run deeper than defensive inefficiencies. All 7-1, 265-plus pounds of Gasol, who was a first-time All-Star, has disappeared. He took less than 10 shots in three of the first four games, and his offensive limitations are being exposed.

Unlike his brother Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers, he's not as versatile around the basket to create his shot. The scouting report on him: He'll always turn into the lane and isn't a threat to drop step.

Like his brother, however, Marc Gasol is an exceptional passer who sees the floor well. Hollins hasn't used him enough to facilitate the offense from the high post, where he's a threat to pass or knock down the mid-range jump shot.

When facing such an athletic team as the Clippers, that's where they're vulnerable — beat them with the pass. The ball will always move faster. The No. 1 seed Spurs understand that, and that's why they're so revered in the West. That's how an aged team such as the Mavericks upset the Heat.

The lack of ball movement allows the Clippers to pack it in, clog the lane around Gasol and Randolph and dare the Grizzlies to beat them from long range.

It's working swimmingly. Grizzlies leading scorer Rudy Gay is shooting 42.3% vs. 45.5% during the season, and sixth man O.J. Mayo is shooting 31% vs. 40.8% during the season.

If Hollins doesn't adjust and give Paul different and multiple looks, this will be like shooting fish in a barrel for Paul. And Hollins' team will drown.

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